What is the Workforce Recruitment Program?

The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (WRP) is a resource to connect public and private sector employers nationwide with highly motivated postsecondary students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in the workforce. Employers seek to fill summer intern positions in a variety of fields.

Who is eligible to participate in the WRP?

An applicant for the program must

• have a substantiated disability
• be a United States citizen
• be enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning on a substantially full-time degree-seekingbasis (unless the severity of the disability precludes the student from taking a substantially full-time load)  OR
• be enrolled in such an institution as a degree-seeking student taking less than a substantially full-time load in the enrollment period immediately prior to graduation OR
• have graduated from such an institution within the past year.

What does the WRP offer to eligible students?

The WRP is an excellent way for students with disabilities in all fields of study to:

• market their abilities to a wide variety of potential employers across the United States
• sharpen their interviewing skills during a required one-on-one meeting with a WRP recruiter
• gain valuable skills, experience, and contacts on the job
• prove that people with disabilities can be excellent employees

How does the program work?

The WRP operates on the following timeline:   

• In late November, letters are sent to students registered with HCC Disability Services and flyers about the program are posted on campus.
• In December and again early in January a meeting will be held to distribute application forms and answer questions.  
• In mid January, workshops will be held to prepare students for the resume writing process and the interviewing process.  Appointments will be scheduled for 30-minute personal interviews with individual students, during which mock-interviews will be conducted. 
• Sometime during the first two weeks in February, the interviews will take place at HCC.
• By late March, a data base composed of student information gathered during recruitment visits is made available to employers in the public and private sectors. 
• Once the data base is released, interested employers make direct contact with students about temporary and permanent job offers. The data base is active for one year.

The WRP is co-sponsored by the Office of Disability Employment Policy and the Department of Defense, with support from other federal agencies.

How can you participate?

If you are an eligible student registered with HCC Disability Services, you will receive a letter about the program in late November.  If you are an eligible student not registered with HCC Disability Services, or you do not receive a letter before the conclusion of Fall Semester, please contact Ann Kukulies in Counseling and Career Services, 410-772-4009.  Inquiries are welcome at any time.